Fruit stemming machine



Oct. 27, 1953 J. G. AGUILAR ET AL. 2,656,867

FRUIT STEMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 14 46 'I7 7 as 34 az Oct- 27, 1953 J. G. AGUILAR ET AL 2,656,867

FRUIT STEMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 13, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

@www HM? atentecl ct. A27, 195.3

FRUIT STEMMING MACHINE John G. Aguilar and William A. Cox, V

San Francisco, Calif.

Application February 13, 1951, Serial No. 210,758

(Cl. 14S-55) 7 Claims.

rlhis invention relates to a stemming machine for stemming fruit, and to a method of stemming fruit. The machine and method is particularly suitable for use with cherries, but is also suitable for other fruit having similar characteristics. It is therefore to be understood that the speciiic references hereinafter to cherries is not intended to be restrictive of the machine and method to cherries only.

Heretofore, cherry or fruit stemmers have been proposed in which an apertured or slotted drum or shell is intended to contain cherries so that the stems project through the apertures for engagement of their outer ends between the outer surface of the drum and some other member, such as a belt that extends part way around said outer surface. The cherries are pushed oil the stems while the latter are held between the belt and the drum.

This system has been found to be unsatisfactory for the reason that the action on the fruit is much the same as the action that occurs in a ball mill, in that stemmed and unstemmed fruit are tumbled together in passing through the drum resulting in aggravating any breakage in the skins and in breaking the tender skins of the fruit. Also the stems of stemmed fruit are permitted to mix with the stemmed and unstemmed fruit, as the fruit moves through the drum causing further abrasive action and mutilation of the fruit. Furthermore, a large percentage of the unstemmed fruit passes out of the drum with the stemmed fruit since there is nothing to insure that the stems will be caught, and the fact that the stemmed fruit is mixed with and is carried along with the unstemmed fruit tends to prevent the stems of the unstemmed fruit from being caught.

By the present invention, the above objections have been overcome and the cherries are positively carried to a stemmer in spaced relationship out of contact with other unstemmed and stemmed cherries, for stemming where the stems are positively held while the cherries are forceably separated from the stems.

It should also be added that by the present invention, the cherries are not slid along a supporting surface, nor rolled on such surface, when being carried to the stemmer. Such sliding and rolling is objectionable, and Where any such rolling action is essential to a successful stemming operation, as has in some instances heretofore been required, the stemming operation is not consistently successful because many cherries will be moved along Without rolling.

The provision of means and a method for overcoming the objections above noted, is an object of the present invention, and other advantages and objects will be found in the drawings and specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional, part elevational View of a preferred form of the invention, with certain parts broken away and with some of the cherries shown in diierent steps in the method.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine of Fig. l With certain parts broken away and in cross-section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, part sectional and part elevational view of a portion of the stemmer.

Fig. l is an enlarged, fragmentary, part sectional View of the element for preventing loose cherries from passing to the stemmer.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the carrier that conveys the cherries to the stemmer.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the recesses in the carrier belt in which a cherry is to be positioned.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a belt or carrier adapted for use in a modiiied form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View of the modiiied form of the invention with which the belt of Fig. 7 is adapted to be used.

The carrier for the cherries comprises an endless belt or conveyor, generally designated l, extending over pulleys 2, 3 in which pulley 2 is secured on a shaft 4 that may be driven by a motor 5 through a reducer 6 (Fig. 2).

The pulley 3 is constructed to not only function as a pulley for the belt I, but it also cooperates with the belt to provide part of the stemmer mechanism and to prevent slippage ol' the belt.

The conveyor belt l is preferably made of rubber or other flexible material, that may be reinforced in any of the conventional ways against stretching. Belt I is formed with a plurality oi rows of spaced recesses 1 (Figs. l, 5) that open outwardly on the inner side of the belt. In other words, the open sides of recesses will be directed radially inwardly at pulleys 2, 3 when they go around said pulleys and will be directed toward each other when they move along the opposed runs of the belt between said pulleys.

Preferably, the pulleys 2, 3 are horizontal and are horizontally spaced so that the lower run of belt l will extend generally horizontally, ai-

There is a clearance between the outer edges of the vanes and the belt which may be about half the diameter of a cherry. Thus the two functions of the rotor 33 are to prevent most of the cherries from passing to the pulley and to decluster the cherries.

Inasmuch as some of the cherries may pass rotor 33, a roller 35 is provided between rotor 33 and pulley I to keep such cherries as may pass rotor 33 from getting to the pulley. It is to be understood that the cherries that are in recesses 1 will not be affected by the roller 35 or rotor 33, but will pass to the pulley 3.

The roller 35 has a sponge or foam rubber layer 36 of plastic or rubber over which is a thinner layer 31 of rubber or plastic of substantially the same hardness as that of vanes 34. This hardness is about the same as that of the inner tubes in automobiles, hence both the vanes and outer layer 31 are relatively soft and flexible.

A belt 39 driven from a pulley on shaft 4 may drive both the rotor 33 and roller 35 in the same direction, which is counterclockwise to that of pulley 3.

The shafts 4e', 4I respectively for rotor 33 and roller 35 may be journalled at their ends in portions of the same frame I4 that carried shafts 4, I0 for pulleys 2, 3.

The outer surface of the roller 35 is preferably v closer to the belt 3 than the vanes of rotor 33, and as the movement of the lower surface of said roller is counter to the direction of movement of belt I any cherries on said belt will be rolled away from the roller until they fall in a recess and are carried to pulley 3.

Side strips that may be part of frame I4 or secured thereto may extend along the side edges of the lower run of belt I to prevent cherries on the belt from falling over its edges.

From the description, so far, the operation is clear. The cherries are fed onto the upper side of the lower run of belt I as the latter moves toward pulley 3. Any cherries that do not enter one of the recesses 1 will be kept back by either rotor 33 or roller 35 until they do enter a recess and they are then carried past the rotor and roller to the lower side of pulley 3. Cherries that may be in clusters are broken by the rotor 33 so as to enable each of the cherries in a cluster to enter a recess 1.

In each instance the stems of the cherries will project upwardly from the recesses 1. It has been found that practically all of the cherries will seat themselves in the recesses with their stems projecting upwardly therefrom. This seems to be a natural way for them to arrange themselves.

As the cherries are carried to the lower side of the pulley 3, the plungers I1 will enter the recesses and the stem of each cherry will enter one of the spaces 21 between the ngers 26 on said plungers so as not to be pushed into the recess, but to remain projecting therefrom. The projecting ends of the stems will then be gripped between belt l and pulley 3, and as the plungers I1 move outwardly of the pulley, they will forceably move the cherries out of the recesses 1, past fingers 9 that form the bottoms of said recesses and will separate the cherries from the stems so that the destemmed cherries will fall free from the belt for dropping into a chute 44 or other conveyor means or receptacle.

After the cherries are destemmed and ejected from the belt the stems will be carried upwardly and away from the destemmed cherries and a rotary brush 46 will brush the stems from the pulley into an inclined trough 41 that will carry them away.

The rotary brush 46 is preferably rotated in the same direction as the direction of rotationA of pulley 3 by means of a belt and pulley connection with the shaft 4| of roller 35 or by any other- Suitable drive means. Such rotation will effect a movement of the side of said brush that is adjacent the pulley that is opposite to the direction of movement of the pulley 3 and plungers I1 so as to effectively sweep the stems away from the pulley and from the outer ends ,of the plungers.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 7, 8 operates fundamentally in exactly the same manner as that of Fig. 1. However, in the form shown in Fig. '1, the belt 50 is formed with coaxial oppositely outwardly opening recesses 5I, 52 that have a common bottom that is formed to provide4 radially inwardly projecting finger 53 that are like fingers 9 of belt I except that they may support a cherry from either side. The belt 50, of course, is double or substantially double the thickness of belt I, and which thickness is substantially double the diameter of a cherry, Ior slightly more.

By providing a belt of this type shown in Figs. '1, 8 a series of stemmer-pulleys 55, 56, 51 identical with pulley 3 may be provided at different levels. The belt is horizontally extended between pulleys 59 and a drive pulley B0 to provide a plurality of horizontally extending superimposed spaced runs BI, 62, 63, B4, 65 the upper side of each has either recesses 5I, 52 on the upper side thereof to receive the cherries for carrying them to the lower sides of the stemmer pulleys. Over each of the runs that so carry the cherries is a roller 35 and a rotor 33' that are identical with the roller 33 and rotor 35 of the machine of Figs. 1, 2, and these may be rotated by any suitable means (not shown) to rotate in the same manner as described for the rotor and roller of no synchronism between the rotors, rollers, and

r stemmer-pulleys, hence these rotors and rollers do not need to be connected for rotating them.

The belt of Fig. 8 extends from drive pulley 60 over an idler pulley 61 and back to the first of the stemmer pulleys, thus completing its circuit.

By the construction and arrangement of Fig. 8,

with the belt pulleys the capacity of the stemmer may be multiplied` five times with little increase in length, and

may be fed from a single course with distribut` conveyors 68, S9, 10, 1I

ing delivery chutesV or 12 leading to several runs of the belt.

Inasmuch as floor space rather than verticali space is at a premium in packing plants, the stemmer of Fig. 8 satisfies a need when a large; volume of cherries are stemmed. Obviously, the;

number of return runs may be increased or de-A to the volume of cherries t@ mer pulleys are duplicates, it is obvious that the oppositely outwardly opening recesses are essential to the system of Fig. '1, hence the machine of Fig. 7 requires more than merely multiplying the pulleys of Figs. 1, 2.

We claim:

1. A cherry stemmer comprising a conveyor formed with a plurality of openings each -of which is adapted to receive therein af cherry from one side of said conveyorfor movement-along a 55, 56, 51 and stemmer-pulleys 53,

adjacente saidi; stent. grippingl means? mvabl'el l5;

radiallyl outwardlyff rel'ativef to" the'V axis`Y ofsaid pulley; cherry nle'vingv means carriedr byr said pulley:-A ovable' radially outwardly' and? int'g each' off saidfholes-or causing* saidmove'inent'o each' cherry past'saidrsupport; and-means orcasing said movement of said cherrymoving means`v upon thestemtof-7 each cherry being held-between said-lconveyor4 arid-'1 said pulley;

eisten?? 10;vi Veyorib'eltandal pair' of horizontally spaced pu1=' leysfI over which 1. saidf b'eltextendsf piloyidingT anupp'er andv a 'lower'v reach spaced apart' and said; belt being formed with openings each adapted tof receive= aff single cherry` therein in` said lower rea`4 nimm-the upper sideof the? latter: with'athe` stemt of suchV cheryfv projecting upwardly; from:`l said lower reach; yi'e'ldable meansV carried byf" said Ibelt 'and in eachf opening for vso'-"supportin`g a* cherryl'within:eachopening said lower rea'ch for` 20l-movenent"withv said Alower reach to one'offsaid puh' leysrrfeansfor factus'atingsaid-pulleysl to cause'said movementfsaid yieldable means-in eachopening being@radiallyexpansiblerelativeI 'to the axismf each opening to permit the cherry within each 25 opening tofbe pushed'through each' opening and outwardly oli-the beltfroin the pulley side`4 of 'thef latterjmeans'fcarie'd by said 'one of said pulleys" positioned to enter each of said open'i'ngsfr"sopushingzeach cli'erry through' each opening when position@ for '1* supprtingif a` cherryA vv-itlfiin: ea'ell openingfwitheitssstem projectingfrom: said-fone@ side; said support" `being rri'ovable tofoneside yb cherry"t supportedthereonvupon forceragainst-fsaidlcherryzaxiallyfoffsaid'Jopenin and/1*towardftlieHside-ioff-"saidff conyeyr opposit saldi oneiside lor-l movement iofsai'dfcherry pas I saidl'support Vfar-identfof 'saidffopening at said-E si'd offth'e7 conveyor 'oppositelsai-d one side,=' stemgr'ipe' gripped between said' -la'st mentioned pulley. and" sad-Y zb eltf 5f -In a'cherryfsteminerhaving-an endless 'coni veyor:` belty and'` v aepair'l of horizontally" spaced`V a5 vpulleys over which saidibe'lt:extendsiprovidinge an" upper "and a lowerer reach spaeedV apart vfand sadnbeltbeingformed with: openings each adapt#l edfftolreceivef'afsingle cherryi therein in said@ lower reach from-fthe upper side'roftheflatter" with-thestem ofv suchcherryl projecting upwardly frrn said* ilower 'reach-ffyieldable meansfearried by"` said belt-andi in? each opening for' so spl portingaeherry swithin'fealchvopening -inisaidlowf er 'reach'- Afor f movementwith said"l 'lower reach to` pulleys eto" causes:id ^movement, 'said yieldablef" means ini each-opening i-beingi radially "expansible if relative f- -to theaxis-fof'^ each opening-'tof permit thei-cherryswithin eac-li I-opening tol 'be pushed cherry'f-supportingf position"A within eaehfA opening said"'suppert'si-*beirigA` movable' with said` 'conve'yrH`A soA that-cherriessupported "thereon will"v befreeefromifrictional resistance *tending to Yrota-te""i',her`ri 'from the pulleyside ofthe latter;l meanscarried byesaidv one `ofi'asaid pulleys positioned`h to "ent'erf eachoffsaidfopenings vfor 'so"pus hing' "eachcherry': tl'iroii-ghI eachL opening when thersaidprojectirg and w. displace athens stem-S, upon-mm.-arvalasstemsf offsaidlcherriesaregripped between saithv at said point Where-saidfstem's are'grippedfbysa'id gripping means#k 3.1"' Afcherrystemmer'ccmiprisirigA alccmveyerfa;-=

jlastfimentionede pulley and' -saidbelt, said flast mentioned means being members movably-care' rie'cl -by. said pulley for radially: outward moyetends withl one' side2 bf""the' latter' in"engage'ment `6 with said Ypulley,"holes"forr'ned insaid conveyor" opening outwardlyiof'said one side' of tlie latter) each; ofsaid holes being fof 'a size .toreceive alsingle cherry 1-thereirirom1said .one sidef a sup-ey portixi each vhle`.for supportingeach vsuch 'cherry in `each hole with .the stem of-fsuchl cherry-pro` jectingirom i said one side'y for .engagement between said ,oneside".V of, said .beltand `said?- pulley upon' movement of saidr conveyoraround saidlf pulley, means for so moving said conveyor, said support. in .eachahole` being movableetol onel side iso-permit passage` of lthevcher-ry thereon-to'imove threpast.: and-.fonial ofsaid' 'hole' `upon applicationw w 6. In aeherry.sterrm'len'hanfingwanendless'cone':`

veyor f belt aridva #pair of f horizontally spa-eed"y pulleys overwhich '-saidbelt extends providing :an f f upper land a-loti'fe'ifv reach spaced Aapart and i said tbelt-ibeing formedwith Iopenings `each fadaptedto receive: asngle'eherryther'ein in 'said lowerreach fromftliefupperisid of the latten-with the "ste'mjf movement. said yyieldabl'e means 4infeachE opening-"2 oflfpressute sasainst- @acht-cherry ein each` L Ihole e751( being-sradially-veXpansible-'srelative 'to'l the *axis off each opening to permit the cherry Within each opening to be pushed through each opening and outwardly of the belt from the pulley side of the latter, means carried by said one of said pulleys positioned to enter each of said openings for so pushing each cherry through each opening, when the said projecting stems of said cherries are gripped between said last mentioned pulley and said belt, said last mentioned means being members movably carried by said pulley for radially outward movement relative to the axis of said pulley, and means for so moving said members, said last mentioned means being members supported on said pulley for recipro'cable movement radially of its airis, and means within said pulley for so reciprocating said members during the period said belt is in engagement with said pulley and during movement of said pulley.

7. In a cherry stemmer having a generally horizontally extending conveyor formed with vertically directed openings each of which is `adapted to receive a cherry therein at its upper end for movement of such cherries with said conveyor, and means for moving said conveyor along a path of travel; a yieldable support within each opening on which the cherry in said opening is adapted to be supported, said support being expansible for permitting movement of such cherry therepast upon pressure being applied tosaid cherry from the said end of the opening into which each cherry is adapted to be received, a plurality of members supported adjacent the cherry receiving ends of said openings for movement into said openings and against the cherries therein for so moving said cherries through said openings, each of said supports being spaced resilient projections extending radially inwardly from the sides of said openings, and each of said members having spaced elements positioned to extend between said projections when each member is movable into each opening, a cherry engaging surface being on each of said members and extending across the axis of each opening for engaging each cherry when said elements are moved between said projections, means for so moving said members, and means for holding the stems of cherries Within said openings when said cherries are so pushed through said openings.

JOHN G. AGUILAR. WILLIAM A. COX.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,076,794 Smith Oct. 28, 1913 1,409,803 Urschel Mar. 14, 1922 1,410,951 Park Mar. 28, 1922 2,114,425 Kagley Apr. 19, 1938 2,314,862 Ashlock, Jr Mar. 30, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 392,110 Germany Mar. 15, 1924 

